In the Brightest Times
by Balshumet
Summary: Republic City was the best City in the world, she was sure of it. It was a place of opportunity, wealth, and progress. Nothing was going to change her mind about these facts, and she'd do anything to defend her city's ideals.


**Balshumet: So this is a little something that just came to me. It's a rather interesting treatment of the price of idealism, and in this case, the lengths people are willing to go to maintain their ideals, even in the face of reality.  
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* * *

**In the Brightest Times**

Republic City was the crown jewel of an Avatar's legacy. After the war, after the destruction, the mistrust, and the pain, it stood out as shining beacon in the dark. A place of the future, a bastion of progress and opportunity, a hope and the proof that all people, bender and non-bender alike could live together for the betterment of the whole. That was what Korra saw when she looked upon the city from across the bay.

Republic City was the richest in the world. It was made that way by the hard working men and women that made it their home. As beautiful as the Southern Water tribe was now, they'd done a lot to erase the scars of 100 years of war, there was still nothing like the bustle of this place. Buildings that seemed to reach the sky, made of glass and twirling metal, paved streets covered with cars and rumbling trucks, and stores filled with more things than you could ever buy. It was with these thoughts in mind that Korra strolled the streets after dark. While the city was impressive during the day, to truly see the triumph of a generation, you had to see the place at night. Lit up like blazing torch, burning with the thrum of electricity and life, bright enough to rival the swirling string of stars across the sky. If there was any place that could make you believe in the future, it was this one.

She didn't have the money to buy anything the in the shimmering displays of the stores she walked past. Honestly, she hadn't had much need for money her whole life, and it was a new concept needing it now. Just the same, she wasn't here to buy things so much as take in all the city had to offer. New inventions shone out to her in the darkness, gems of an era as much as any precious stone. She continued walking, not caring where she was headed, for she didn't have a destination in mind, until she came to one of the centers of the city. A marketplace near another of the city's many statues. Even though the morning shops were all closed down, they had been replaced with wares of the nights.

"Would the lady like a chance to try on the best silks in Republic?"

"My dear this way! We have the most stunning jewelry in the entire city, as beautiful as anything in Quang's at half the price!" A shopkeeper called onto the street.

"So I see you're the more practical type. Then how about a new radio for the home? I assure you it's the clearest most static free radio you've ever heard in your life."

And on and on it went, as owners tried to gain her attention for their more expensive goods. It wasn't only the cloth and electric wonders that called out to her on her trip through the night, but some of the more vibrant night life. A lively party was rolling all throughout the city just after dark, and the bars were the center of it. The police had more important things to worry about than a few reverie raisers, but some of the older citizens were wrinkling their noses at the combination of drunken laughter and the lowlifes the bars attracted. Some of them even called for a more controlled regulation of the spirits that followed from those places like the waters of the bay, but with a revolution brewing just beneath the surface of the dancing and jubilee, their complaints were studiously ignored.

She drank in the sounds of the loud cacophonous laughter amid the sliding sounds of the party music. Between the lights, music, and their own bright, albeit inebriated, joy she couldn't imagine a better place to live.

But it the darker places…

She supposed they had to exist. If there was wealth, there was lack of it. She just didn't expect it to be so stark, so extreme. In her home, while everyone wasn't exactly equal, there wasn't this vast _ocean_ of difference between those with more and those with less. Here it was more like there were those with all, and those without any. The soot from the factories to the north clogged her lungs, and her shoes were muddied with a disturbing combination of dirt and debris left strewn along the street's surface. Here were the forgotten, pressed betwixt the eaves of the sprawling buildings for shelter against the brisk icy wind, dressed bedraggled and sparse. In their eyes she could see herself. Dressed in blue and Water tribe furs, hair coiffed and tied, clean and sparkling like the city whose face they weren't a part of.

She'd witnessed a piece of this before, in the park after she first arrived, but it was nothing like being assaulted with the concentrated underbelly of the City. The air was thick with more than soot from the factories and power plants, and she couldn't hold back a retch as the pungent odor of human excrement and sickness made its way up her nose. She stumbled away from the edge of the sidewalk as a reckless driver, the product of the reverie farther uptown, took a corner far too fast, and nearly clipped her. The sounds of amusement filled her ears as the Satomobile continued on its drunken carouse about town.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

Korra jerked backwards, away from the other pedestrian she'd just nearly bowled over. "Sorry! I didn't see you and well, that car just about ran me over, and sorry." She finished her hasty apology with another step towards a building wall. Away from the man she'd bumped into, away from the danger of careless drivers, into the thick grime that clung to everything like the miasma in the air.

"What are you even doing down here anyway?" The man gave her a slow appraising look before the curiosity in his features turned into animosity. "You uptown brats are always trying to slum it like it's some type of field trip, well I've have you know we aren't a damn learning experience. We're real life, more than whatever little bubble of comfort you live in."

"Sir you have it all wrong, I'm not trying to slum it or anything; I'm just taking a walk around town." Korra held her hands out before explaining, "I'm just new in town and I thought it'd be a good idea to, you know, get a better idea of the city."

The man sneered as the wind blew about his tattered clothes. "Well sister get a cold hard look." He stepped back and held out his arms, "This? All this is the face of the city. Not that shining mess uptown shows to the world, pretending that it's all parties and no cares." He locked Korra in a piercing gaze and crossed his arms. "I _am_ the city, and you're the façade they veneer over me to make it all look alright."

Korra didn't know what to say to such a cruel and sharp assessment of the world she'd just joined. She self consciously smoothed her clothes and made a sharp turn out of the shanties, the pauper neighborhoods that housed those that progress threw out like trash. She couldn't even respond to the man's calls as he demanded she go back to whatever prissy hole she'd crawled from. Here was the city's true face. She wouldn't believe it; she couldn't believe it. Even if it _was_ true there was no place where Opportunity was more abundant. If this was how most people lived, at least here if nowhere else, they could have the chance to strike it rich. She comforted herself with that thought and headed towards home, towards warm, the soft glow that heralded the arrival of the now, and away from the cold shadows of the past.

"So I walked around the city last night. It was quite the place after dark." Korra said chipper in spite of their sudden guest.

"Really? I thought it might be a bit overwhelming compared to what you're used to, but I'm glad you enjoyed our fair city Avatar Korra." Tarrlock replied over dinner at Air Temple Island. He might not have been invited, but he planned to use every opportunity to his advantage.

"Yeah, I mean it was all so great. The music, and the shops, and all of that but-"

"Yes Avatar Korra?"

"It's just, on the southwestern side of the city-"

"Oh! You didn't wander into _that_ terrible neighborhood did you? I know it can be a little bit of a shock compared to the rest of the city."

"That's just it, it _was_ a shock. It just wasn't one I was expecting. I mean I know this is probably just magical thinking, but I always thought Republic City was a place of opportunity and enlightenment, and to see so many people just living like that…"

"Korra let me tell you something, those people you saw there? That's what it's like all over the world for so many. They're in smaller amounts, in each place, all spread out. At the end of the day though, it's all the same impoverished folks." Tarrlock paused as he watched the Avatar slowly work through that idea. "Here though, it doesn't have to stay that way. Here and all over the United Republic, there's chance for a better life. Nowhere else is opportunity to build a better life with hard work and talent so abundant. I know it might seem strange, but I can promise that if those people really work hard enough, they can take for themselves a piece of the pie." He watched as Tenzin's face slowly twisted up in disapproval. It took a bit of effort to hold back a sneer. So what were an old man's old world sensibilities in the meritocracy of the new Republic?

"Enough beating around the bush Tarrlock, what is it you want from Korra?"

"So happy you asked. Avatar Korra I've created a taskforce to face Amon head on, and I'd be honored if you'd be a part of it."

* * *

Hiroshi Sato was a self made man. He'd been young and poor, with nothing but a dream, until one person believed in him enough to make all of Future Industries happen. His wasn't the only story of success in their fantastic city, but it was the most emblematic. Born to immigrant parents, growing up in one of the poorer boroughs of the city, Hiroshi had gone to work as his father had; toiling away under another man's vision, for a barely livable wage, all the while secretly wanting more. One fateful day, a single person had glanced at his schematics for the first Satomobile. They'd instantly taken a liking to it, but lacking the capital and the knowhow, they only thing they could do was point him in the direction of the lenders. He'd practiced his pitch until he was saying it in his sleep, and then one day after a long week of work, and on a rare day off, he'd strutted into the bank, bursting with enthusiasm, and the rest was history.

His was the story anyone could get behind. Even if you start with nothing, with enough sweat, blood, and grit, you could make yourself into a captain of industry. He, as well as Cabbage Inc, Phonophants, and Lee's radio's, were the symbols of an age; a new step towards the vision of equality and peace laid out in the very foundations of their world.

Just learning of the histories of the men who supplied the city with the most modern inventions and innovations helped solidify her ideals. Republic City was the King of Opportunity.

It was with these thoughts in mind that she'd seen the real good pro-bending as a sport could do. It didn't seem like much, but in the ring, nothing but your bending mattered. Not where you came from or who you were before. It all could change with the single ring of a bell. Pro-bending wasn't just a modern _invention_ with new bending styles being made on the spot; it was the physical embodiment of an ideal. That if given the chance, and with enough work, anyone could make something of themselves.

That's what was so inspiring about their trip to the finals. Above and beyond her love for the game, her new friends, and the chance to learn the freshest styles of bending, was the under current in the arena. Here was the now. Here was the opportunity. Here was the future in all its changing glory, because one minute you were at the top of the world, and the next you were taking a dip in the drink.

"Korra that was amazing! I've never seen someone pull a hat trick like that before." Asami gushed from beside Mako.

"Thanks, but we never would have gotten here without you and your father's help, so thank you." Korra replied before heading over to heal Bolin. Before she'd even really gotten started, the match was already over. Their opponents in the upcoming finals were the White Falls Wolfbats, and if their fast semi-final match was anything to go by, they were going to give them the fight of their lives. Still, they weren't going to be scared off that easy, and after spending some more time fixing up Bolin's shoulder, she changed and packed it in for the night.

But in the darker places…

Toza was staying late as usual when he ran into the newest underdogs of the arena, or specifically one of their team members. He was cleaning up the warm up space of the arena when the Fireferret's waterbender, Avatar Korra, walked right past the opening. Instead of continuing on like everyone else, stopped and parked herself right in the doorframe of the entrance. He suffered her overly curious staring in silence for more than ten minutes before he turned around, face already scrunched up in the closest semi-balance of a glare he could manage in his fatigue. His bones ached, his back twitched and pained, and his feet were so swollen he was sure it would take an hour to get his shoes off tonight, and here was this little brat treating him like he was the entertainment for tonight. "What is it you want?"

"Oh I-nothing really. I've just always been curious about how the area is set up for the games and tournament every night. I mean I wasn't trying to bother you or anything."

"Yeah well, I suppose that _would_ be interestin' to someone like you." He sighed and stretched his sore back.

"Someone like me?" This was the second time someone she barely knew claimed she was some "type" of person. Maybe she was just missing some social mores for the city, but it was beginning to get on her nerves.

"Yes you know, Miss Avatar, someone wit' a silver spoon thrust in their mouth. I mean I'm sure watching how the other half lives is interestin' and all, but if you don't mind, I'd rather not have an audience tonight."

"What is it with people in this city, and acting like I'm so rich brat watching the "other people" like a kid following a bug on the ground?" She was indignant to say the least. At the very least, they could give her the benefit of the doubt. She'd just got here, and after living in the compound the majority of her life, there were some things she just didn't know.

"Oh so this has happened before has it? Well maybe you should'a learned your lesson and applied it to your obviously dull sheltered little life, and stop treatin' other people's lives and struggles like it's a damn book."

"I was doing no such thing!"

"Yeah ok, you've never worked a day in your young life, so of course watching someone actually _do_ any is interesting. Silly me, I should'a have thought of that sooner. Why don't you just beat it brat?"

"I have as much right to be here as anyone else!" She grit her teeth and suppressed the urge to actively firebend with the hiss that passed them. "What would _you_ know about how much work I've done? I've spent my whole life training in bending the elements. I've worked every day of my life to get better at it, and now it's all paying off. Just like it's paying off for my team mates." She sent a heated look in his direction, a fierce combination of defensive pride and aggressive idealism.

"You'd really think so huh? I get it now; you're one of those youngins brought up on the dreams of making the big time and the myth of work ethic. Well, you've already achieved the big time just by an accident of birth, oh 'cuse me, the fate of being born the Avatar. What'a you know of being a nobody? You were born to do great things just by being the Avatar." Korra opened her mouth to interrupt, but he forged ahead without a care. "Let me tell you somethin' about your hard work missy, I've worked hard every day of my life. I've worked more jobs than you've got years in you I bet," he paused to straighten up a rack of earthen disks. "I've been a paper boy, and a cook, a busboy, and a trolley attendant. I've shined shoes, and I've cleaned chimneys. I even tried to make it as a pro-bender at one time. You know what my shot at the big time got me? Several thousand uzos of debt and a bad back."

"Well I'm sorry things didn't work out for you doing pro-bending, but I bet the arena wouldn't be half as well maintained without your work here in the gym." She cringed as Toza left out a harsh bark of a laugh that turned thin towards the end as it broke into a coughing fit.

"Listen girly, I've put in more hours in this gym both as a contestant and as a glorified janitor, and let me tell you, just putting in the effort isn't goin' to get you anywhere. I probably logged more hours on the mat trainin' than any of your team mates ever have, and I still didn't make it. Want to know why?"

His face held such a peculiar combination of wisdom and distain, she couldn't do anything but agree.

"Because I was poor. Yeah not for nuttin are the entrance fees for the championship tournament are so expensive. Keeps out the riffraff as they say. And that's above and beyond all the work I had to do to finance my bid at the title and fame. Workin' two part-time jobs to pay for all the things I needed to do this pro-bending thing wore me into the ground, and one day in the ring, I was dead on my feet tired. Our opponents are one of those sponsored easy life bastards, and I take a disk to the back so hard that it does something screwy to my insides. I can't afford a trip to the healer, and I have bills to pay. Turns out, the opposing team got a few favors to get that far. A few uzos here, some nice extra time in the gym there and life's just peachy for them." He stared into the young girl's crestfallen face without a drop of remorse. "So what why that long face? You think if I just worked harder my back would'a fixed itself?"

"No I just, that's so sad."

"No Miss Avatar, that's life. That's life for everyone who ain't born into the highlife like you. I beat your life aint sunshine and roses, but just think about how much harder it would'a been without everyone being willin' to help you like they have been. Now if you don't mind, I want to set up for the matches tomarr'a in peace." With that, Toza turned his back to the still hope-filled eyes of the newest generation.

Korra couldn't help but hear Toza's words echoing in her head all night. She always heard, believed, that if nowhere else, people had fair shake in Republic City. If they just put their nose to the grind stone and worked at it, they would become something great, or at least have most of everything they wanted. A solid home, good food, a family, all this could-_should_ yours if only you put in the effort. Then a piece of his story stuck out in her mind. It wasn't true. It wasn't because he didn't work hard enough, but because someone else stole it from him. His chance was taken by a team, too much easy money, and corruption. If the other team, maybe even multiple other teams, hadn't been cheating their way to the top, then there's no way all his hard work wouldn't have paid off.

She lounged in bed thinking that fact through once more, before one final thought came to mind. _His story isn't fair, but it doesn't have to happen anymore._ Fact of the matter was, because of the Police Chief Republic City was one of the safest places she'd been. Hard work may not get you everything if others are corrupt, but Republic City's police kept it possible.

* * *

Lin Beifong was the leader of the most efficient police force the world had ever known. With a combination of earthbending skill, and technical advances, they'd turned policing efforts into a whole different type of beast. There were still criminal elements in the underbelly of Republic City, but they had the means and the dedicated men and women to combat it.

Because of this, in spite of the regular criminal trash that clogged up the streets of her city, Korra knew that Lin's work and metal benders made her home one of the safest places in the world, and despite quitting Tarrlock's taskforce, she was more than happy with how safe the streets were. Sure the Triads had been a problem when she'd first arrived, but now they had all disbanded as a result of Amon's threats, and while she had no love for that maniac, she could still be satisfied with the destruction of one of the most negative elements of the city.

She was nervous though, and not about any thugs on the street. Soon, they were going to be raiding the Sato compound. They'd gone and finished their search of the official Enterprise properties and warehouses, but if their informant was any good, there was one on his personal property as well. She was just on a walk about town, to work off the nerves. Little other than a brisk walk really calmed her down, so here she was, only a few hours from what could be the biggest bust, or biggest mistake, or her life, stomping through the seedier parts of the city. She'd seen all the upper districts before, and the only thing they're lighthearted living would do is make her worries worse, or frustrate her with the level of their carefree behavior when she had so much to worry about. Even thought it was late she wasn't worried about something as mundane as being mugged.

It wasn't just because she was the Avatar, but she's sure it helped, but the fact Korra knew Lin's metal benders did such a great job protecting the city, even in the nastier areas. She took a deep breath of the still clear air, cool in her lungs, a nice contrast to the burning coal of excited energy building in her core that was erasing her nerves. Everything would be alright, she was sure of it, and she could find no greater proof than the safety she felt just walking the streets after dark. Big City or not, reputation or not, there was nothing to fear here, something that was a comfort when she thought about the danger she'd surly be facing just a few hours from now.

But in the darker places…

_Oh god yes, please, please, please, just give me the damn packet already. Hurry up, damn you, the police could be anywhere, and if I don't get this soon I'll die. I've already given you the money just damn you give me-please please please…_

Hiko sneered at the thin thing stooped in front of him practically begging him for his product. He was one of the many new users he'd been able to drum up lately with the police being so distracted by the Equalist bullshit. While he wasn't a bender himself, he couldn't really get behind this equality crap Amon was spewing. He wasn't made, and neither was anyone else in his opinion, to be equal to anyone else. He was made for this, watching little worms beg their superiors. He was better than this garbage before him, and he liked to keep the world a place where everyone acknowledged that fact. Hiko rolled his eyes and finally took pity on the poor thing before him, tossing the packet of fine green powder to ground. "Yeah here ya go. Sorry about taking so long, had to make sure the money was all counted up and legit you know? I'm short it's my ass."

"What're doing?" A voice called out to him from the beginning of the alley, and from the sounds of it, a _girl_ of all things. _Pretty things should know better than wandering around the street this late at night._ He mused before calling back to her while his eyes watched the hasty retreat of his buyer, "none of your business honey."

"Yeah? Well I'm about to make it my business." She was in a confrontational mood tonight. The only thing that calmed her down better than walking was a good fight, and this guy was asking for it. She might still be a little green, but she knew enough to recognize when someone was up to something illegal.

"Toots, I'm not interested in fighting no girl," Hiko paused and slight raked his eyes over her body, "especially one as cute as you."

Korra bristled up defensively before growling, "listen up, because I'm only going to tell you this once. I don't know what you were up to back here, but I'm not letting you get away with it. I may be busy tonight, but as soon as I tell the police-d"

"Ha! That's so precious; you think the police don't know about me, about us? How about _you_ listen up toots, and I'll explain something to you." Hiko sauntered right up into her space, happy to be able to get under her skin a little. "They not only know about my existence but they don't care. Oh sure, they talk a good game about stopping crime, and all that good shit, but it's not that truth. Not the real truth anyway. This isn't even the result of all this Equalist nonsense going down, no we've been here much longer, and they've been ignoring us."

"That can't be true, you might not be beating people up or extorting money, but there's no way you aren't hurting people."

"Oh sure sure toots, I guess we are, but you know what? We provide a needed service. That's right, if they got rid of all the crime then what would they get paid to do? Sit on their asses all day? Ya see going after us? That cuts off the supply, and then all those nice users they love to call, what was it, "vagabonds", just go back to being normal Joes. Less people to lock up, less loans being given out to pay for their gambling habits or their poison of choice, and they're definitely be less work for them Metal bender cops." Hiko smiled as the young girl in front of him gave him a ferocious scowl. "And what would they want to stop the cash cow for? Stop the easy payments and the prestige? Hell nah honey, not when they can take our taxes and get paid to act like Triad thugs."

"You're wrong. You all are just like ratroaches. You breed too fast to get rid of is all; they're not leaving you here on purpose." Korra crossed her arms and refused to back away from the acrid smell of smoke coming from his clothes or his words.

"Well maybe you're right there, but maybe having multiple cops in your back pocket helps to keep you alive. Who knows? At the end of the day all that matters is I'm here, I'm not going anywhere, and they're not going to come stop me. You think the Triads operated without police knowledge and indirect aid? That all those shop owners got shook down, and all those hookers got sold, and not a damn person on the police force could stop it?" He finished off his smoke and started down towards the other end of the alley.

"Where are you going? I'm not done talking to you!" Korra began to stomp off after him.

"You think talking to me more is going to change the facts? Go home toots, go home and hug your damn parents and pretend I don't exist. After all, it's late, and little girls like you should be home before the street lights come on in a neighborhood like this."

Korra was going to race after him and demand, maybe even with her fists, that this smug jerk takes a trip down to Chief Beifong's lockup, when she noticed the time. If she wanted to make it back before she missed the raid, she had to go now. So with one last look at his retreating form, she turned heel and exited the alley.

So what if the police knew about him and his ilk. There was no way they'd just let him walk free if there wasn't so much more at stake at the moment. His existence, him and all the criminal scum like him, from corrupt politicians and judges to Triad members was what curtailed the rights and opportunities of the citizens of Republic City. She just knew if they had the man power, they'd crack down on crime so hard; there'd be no rock they could crawl under. The police and their Chief maintained the rights of every person in this city, and that was that.

* * *

Republic City was a place that allowed you to speak your mind, and that was the problem with it. If it was stricter, then the so called Equalists wouldn't have been able to make a foot hold to begin with. Even after Amon's defeat, there were those that believed in his legacy. There were those that didn't believe the truth about his water bending, and even those that didn't care. Who saw that if Amon could be a bender and understand the importance of making sure everyone was equal to their fellow man, than the ideals he supposed _must_ have been real.

Every day, she saw the results of Amon's defeat. The resurgence of the criminal bending crime bosses and the recreation of the Agni Kais, the Triple Threat, and the Red Monsoon Triads had caused an upsurge in the amount of crime in the city. The determined Equalist followers continued to call for "equality among all men", even if through further legislation and protest. It was too dangerous for things to continue like this. At first she had been hesitant to agree to the necessary measures, but after one of the bombings of the theaters, she'd gotten on board easily. She knew now if they were going to keep this place the bastion of progress that it was, some sacrifices needed to be made. So when they outlawed the printing of Equalist tracts and their articles from the newspaper, she'd agreed.

When people had rebelled, talking about equal representation in the press, they'd had no choice but to curtail the right to protest and completely outlaw talking about Equalist ideals at all. The riots were a pain, but they eventually died down, especially after their organizers were placed in the jails to stew in their own juices.

But it wasn't enough, it never was. Every time they stopped one Equalist rally, or stemmed some kook trying to pass out flyers talking about the rulings of the Consul being oppressive, more would show up, and soon the jails were over following with the enemies of the Republic. They had to come up with something more effective in the long haul, and that's why they'd created this place.

Korra hadn't agreed right off, there had to be other ways, other measures they could take, and Tenzin had supported her assessment of the situation wholeheartedly. It wasn't in his nature to take sure drastic and by some amounts cruel measures.

And that's why he still didn't know about it while she did. Sure, she had agreed with him originally, but after the Consul Chambers themselves had been bombed, this time by some so called Freedom Fighters, _I swear new iterations of Amon's followers showed up every day_, she'd agreed to the Consul's final legislation. Final because it was soon after replaced by a direct ruling by the police force. Lin and several other prominent members of the police took over control of the city in light of the never-ending threats to citizen's safety and the coherency of the Republic.

But in the Darkest Places…

He hadn't seen the light in days. He missed the sky, the sun, even the icy winds that often whipped through the streets of a city that was no longer his. It no longer belonged to any of them really. It was solely the property of the new ruling police consul. He could laugh every time he had heard them proclaim it was all for the safety of their citizens. Well he didn't hear any of that now from where he was, deep in The Compound built to house "Enemies of the Republic". The last thing he'd heard that was definite news from the outside, was the Avatar herself endorsing the new curfews for the citizens throughout the city. _And by throughout, they mean in any of the boroughs and neighborhoods where the impoverished lived._ Not a single thing had changed for the richest and most socially connected of the city. Not as the press was stripped of their rights, not as its citizens were stripped of their voice, not even as its citizens were stripped of freedom, placed in metal cells, all in the name of _safety_. It wasn't people's lives they were trying to save though, but the pretense. The myth of meritocracy, of equal classes, of protection from crime, at the end of the day, the only thing they were trying to keep safe was their reputation. Because what was this city without its reputation after all?

"You're wrong." Korra smiled confidently from across the table at one of the many insurgents that filled the halls of The Compound. "We already have proof of your involvement in anti-consul activities, and your adherence to fanatic belief systems. We don't need your confession to hold you."

He smiled back, he'd already known that. Hell, they'd held him for months without even an interrogation; if she thought hearing thought would crack him she was wrong. The only problem was…there was nothing _to_ crack. He'd been framed, and rather masterfully. Well, that is he'd never done anything illegal, but tell his friends he thought the Police Consul was far too far off the rails, and that he'd preferred the one built by members from all the nations. It wasn't even a day after that he'd been imprisoned for anti-government speech and conspiracy to riot, and conspiracy for treason, and a whole list of trumped up charges he hadn't known had existed until then. He hadn't known then that his "friends" were a plant.

"Avatar Korra, I'm not lying to you, what good would it do me in here?"

"I asked myself the same question, but here we are, with you lying to me anyway. Since we've already been at it an hour, why don't we try this again some other day, maybe after you've thought about your crimes a little longer?" Korra stood from her place on the other side of the table, gathering up her papers. Among them were his charges, the surveillance they'd taken of him in various reports, and his initial statement; a confession he gave a few days after first arriving, that he'd since recanted.

She admitted it had been garnered under less than stellar circumstances. But sometimes you had to crack a few eggs to get things moving. She watched his face loss the shit eating grin he'd been sporting this whole time as she headed for the door. "When you're ready to play game and give up your co-conspirators, feel free to tell me."

She breezily waltzed out of the interrogation room, ready for another round with a different criminal they had locked away in here safe from the rest of the proper citizens. She knew that this seemed harsh, even to her own sensibilities, but it was necessary. She hadn't realized when she'd first arrived what was needed to keep Republic City the great place it was, but now she did.

Because she understood...

**To keep the Brightest Times, the Darkest Places were needed.**

* * *

**Balshumet: Well that's it folks. The only actual one shot I've ever finished. You can blame the contest for this, honestly, I think it's not so bad. Good enough I might even go back and update this later to fix up the places I'm not happy about. Thanks for reading and don't forget to R&R.  
**


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